Many communities are accustomed to studying
one chapter from Pirkei Avot (Ethics of Our Fathers) every Shabbat
between the festivals of Passover and Rosh Hashanah.

Many communities are accustomed to studying
one chapter from Pirkei Avot (Ethics of Our Fathers) every Shabbat
between the festivals of Passover and Rosh Hashanah. Like other Mishnaic
tractates, Pirkei Avot deals with halachic issues, but differs from
the others in that it deals primarily with laws directly related to character
development. Originally, the custom was to study these teachings for a much
shorter time, between Passover and Shavuot, in order to improve our character
traits in preparation for the momentous receiving of the Torah on the festival
of Shavuot. The custom was later extended all the way until Rosh
Hashanah.

The thirteenth Mishnah of this week's chapter, chapter five, discusses four
categories of people. The Mishnah mentions differing opinions regarding the
status of a person whose attitude is, "That which is mine is mine, and that
which is yours is yours." One view is that this person is an average citizen
- not particularly righteous, but at the same time not evil. The other opinion
characterizes this person as having the attributes of the residents of the
infamous city of Sodom, who epitomized callous insensitivity towards others
and were destroyed by G-d for their wicked behavior.

Rabbeinu Yonah, a classic commentator on Pirkei Avot and many other
facets of Torah study, states that the Mishnah refers to a person who neither
gives nor takes from others. If so, he wonders, how can this person be considered
an average individual? Isn't he forgoing the positive Torah commandment of
giving tzedakah (charity)? His wickedness should be indisputable,
yet only the second opinion deems him to have the characteristics of Sodom!

Rabbeinu Yonah answers that the person referred to in the Mishnah certainly
does give tzedakah. However, he does so only as a result of his fear
of Hashem, and not because he has a philanthropic personality. He is not
considered evil, since he does indeed perform the act of tzedakah.
Nonetheless, since the attribute of giving has not been inculcated into his
character makeup, he cannot be viewed as a righteous individual.

The words of Rabbeinu Yonah give us an important insight to the Torah's view
of the ultimate Torah-observant Jew. One might have thought that the person
described in the Mishnah should be considered righteous. After all, Rabbeinu
Yonah does not say that there is anything lacking in his actions. Presumably,
this person is fulfilling the mitzvah of tzedakah completely in accordance
with all of its intricate laws. Furthermore, he is going against his natural
tendencies to not help others in order to do this mitzvah! Is the reward
for such an act not great? Is he not showing great strength and dedication
in his performance?

He certainly is, but Rabbeinu Yonah tells us that this is not enough. Our
job in this world is not only to fulfill the mitzvot, but to make the traits
embodied by them our own. He teaches us that we must not only perform acts
of loving kindness, but that we should become kind people. If we take
this lesson to heart and inculcate Hashem's mitzvot into our nature - if
we weave them into the fabric of our very beings - then we can truly become
righteous people.

Yaacov Cohen, who hails from
Atlanta, is studying at the Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim in Forest Hills, New York.